SwampWater Grill brings authentic flavors from the bayou

SwampWater Grill is located inside the same
sprawling, shanty-like building that houses Riverside Centre Antique
Mall. The restaurant is the brainchild of property owner Chris Ornella
and partner Kirk Prest, who hails from Plaquemines Parish, La., just
south of New Orleans.

Chef Matthew Cranert infuses his life of travels into menus at M and Cumin

Matthew Cranert can’t sit still. He’s got a
million menus in his head and he wants to write them all down. The new
executive chef at Cumin, Cranert also holds the same position at sister
restaurant M, both in Hyde Park. Between running two kitchens, he’s
found his Zen in balancing the high-end dining at Cumin with M’s rustic
eats.

Mazunte Taqueria brings authentic Oaxacan cuisine to Red Bank

At Mexico’s southern tip lie three small
coastal fishing villages: San Agustinillo, La Ventanilla and Mazunte,
whose combined population tops out at just more than a thousand.
Thatched roof huts of dried palm overlook golden sandy beaches,
frolicking sea turtles and stunning ocean views, luring eco-tourists who
seek the last of the world’s pristine, undeveloped lands.

Green B.E.A.N. delivers local produce to private residences and beyond

Having homegrown veggies and fruit
delivered to your house seems like a luxury, but for 6,000
Cincinnatians/Northern Kentuckians, receiving a green bin filled with a
mixture of both locally and nationally grown produce actually supports
the community, reduces carbon footprints and advances environmental
initiatives for future generations.

I found them at Taste of Belgium, in eight holiday flavors

It
all started when I ate at Bottega Louie in downtown Los Angeles for the first
time. My boyfriend and I were vacationing in SoCal and went out to dinner with
friends — L.A. natives and frequents of the popular restaurant and gourmet
market with the most extraordinary
bakery.
Right
as we walked through the door, I noticed an eye-catching rainbow display of macarons; row after row of every imaginable color and flavor of the French
meringue-based confection. We decided to peruse the bakery during our
one-and-a-half hour wait to be seated (during which we spotted Funk musician
George Clinton) and I remember practically drooling on the glass at the hazelnut,
raspberry, espresso, violet cassis and even Earl Grey-flavored treats.
The
petite and airy French macaron (pronounced “mah-kah-rohn” and not
to be confused with the coconut cookie, macaroon) is made with egg whites,
almond powder, confectioner’s sugar and food coloring. It has a crispy outside,
chewy inside and velvety filling. I had only eaten macarons once before then,
at a café in Hollywood earlier that week. Getting a box full of them after
dinner was almost too good to be true.
Although
I was happy to be experiencing them for the first time in Cali, macarons have
been a fad in the past few years, popping up all over the place. Foodies among
others have been dubbing them the new cupcake (because, you know, Cupcake Wars is a thing and cupcakeries
are everywhere).
Upon
returning to Cincinnati, I tried to find the city’s Bottega Louie. I wanted to
discover a place overflowing with the ubiquitous macaron that is taking
bakeries all over the East and West Coast by storm. After doing a few Yelp
searches, I first ventured to The
BonBonerie on Madison Road, not too far from my apartment. There were only
two types of macarons there when I went — salty caramel and pistachio.
Although
there was a limited selection of flavors, I was excited to order the pastries
in my hometown and got a few of each. They were alright, but the meringue
cookie outsides and filling were a bit thick and the macaron didn’t have its
expected airiness. I wanted to find a place that offered a lighter pastry with
a wider selection of flavors.
I
later went to Aglamesis
Bro’s in Oakley Square, one of my favorite ice cream parlors, to continue
my search. Some of their reviews mentioned macarons. However, they didn’t have
them when I went. I left with some black raspberry chocolate chip ice cream, so
the outing wasn’t a total letdown.
I
then attempted to go to the S&J Bakery
and Café in Findlay Market on a Sunday, but was just a little too late. It
was closed. Based on Yelp reviews, the macarons are good there (and are actually
sold there) so I unfortunately missed out and need to go back.
The
French Crust Café on Vine
came up on Yelp under the “macaron” search and seemed promising, being a French
café and all. There were reviews about desserts, such as pumpkin and chocolate
mousse, topped with a macaron. Upon looking at the menu on the website, though,
I didn’t see the pastries listed as separate items for purchase and decided to
pass.
Among
a few of the other places in the search results were Take the Cake, Frieda’s Desserts and Donna’s Gourmet Cookies, all of
which vaguely mention macarons in the reviews and/or website.
However,
the one place that stuck out to me in the Yelp search — that I’ve been meaning
to try for ages and ages, not just for the macarons but for the food in general
— is Taste of Belgium in
Over-the-Rhine. It’s a local favorite when it comes to brunch and desserts. I
finally paid the bistro a visit over the weekend and, for the first time, felt
like I was in a West Coast bakery.
I
instantly spotted the macarons, which took up an entire shelf. There were eight
holiday flavors — Rum Raisin, Sticky Toffee, Sugarplum, Eggnog, Gingerbread, a
very decorated Candy Cane, Cinnabun and Snow Ball (Coconut).
I
ordered a box of them and my sister and I ate them before we even got our
brunch. We really couldn’t help it, seeing as to how they’re so pretty and
bite-sized. These macarons were similar to the ones I had at Bottega Louie;
they were slightly crunchy, had just the right amount of chewiness and were
filled with the perfect amount of ganache.
While
I’m not usually into fads, this is one that I’m glad is spreading within our
constantly evolving city. It might have taken me a few months, but I can
finally say that I’ve found the trendy yet timeless
confections I’ve been craving. And it just so happened to be in time for the
holidays, in very appropriate festive flavors.

There are four new and noteworthy places to fuel up this month, whether your fuel of choice is caffeine, sugar or joie de vivre. French Crust Café and Holtman’s Donuts
are two much-anticipated newly opened Vine Street destinations downtown
and are definitely worth a special trip.

There are some great, hip taco joints in town, but sometimes I like to get my lomo
on the down-low. Warning to drivers: Do not tailgate in the vicinity of
taquerias. I have been known to spot salsa verde with my peripheral
vision and slam on my brakes.

For Chef David Bach, Quentin Tarantino’s upcoming film, Django Unchained,
can’t come soon enough. The movie, which opens in December, pays homage
to the same ’60s Spaghetti Western that had inspired Bach and a posse
of established local culinary artists to open the new Northside
restaurant, Django Western Taco.

One of Over-the-Rhine’s most popular
destinations, A Tavola (1220 Vine St.), is opening a second location in
Madeira. The new shop, at 7022 Miami Road, will open in December. I
think it’s great that the center of the city has so much goodness going
on that we can export it to the ’burbs.